Father Sorin

Notre Dame is the only university in America that has had two very popular and flattering major motion pictures made about it: “Kunte Rockne, All American” and “Rudy.” As a general rule, you don’t want a movie film made about your college, unless you hated it and want to join other people in laughing at it.
Interestingly enough, “Rudy” had its world premier in South Bend exactly 25 years ago this month. That season, the Fighting Irish went into the last game of the year, at home, undefeated ...

Ball State. It’s an unfortunate name. Then again, our University is technically named for ‘Our Lady of the Lake’, even though there are, in fact, two lakes. Don’t get me started.
Who put the Ball in Ball State? The very generous Ball brothers, who became very wealthy by building a better, smarter fruit jar. It’s not a sexy way to make money; but all things considered, glass pickling jars are a lot more popular today than what our first benefactor sold – fur.
Since we’re playing host to ...

With a class of new students moving onto campus, I’m seeing a lot of different ‘Welcome’ signs all over the place. Each hall seems to have its own personalized, color-coordinated placards staking a claim to its new inmates residents. But the sign I see most is “Welcome Home!”
I had a whole series of suggestions for appropriate (and more realistic) welcoming signs. But, as usual, my wisdom was neither sought nor appreciated by the current administration. When they retire you, they take away ...

“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.” So said Edwin Markham, the poet. And as the Irish defeat yet another ranked opponent by more than 20 points, climbing yet higher in the rankings themselves, perhaps it’s appropriate to ask whether a one-point loss to Georgia was better than a two-point victory that night. For truly, it served to shake the team, and their triumphs since then have indeed been glorious; but would they be in the same place today had they ...

It is with tremendous regret that I can do nothing but concur with ND Tex’s compelling arguments posted earlier today. For I, too, witnessed at firsthand the surrender of our Stadium, with a mixture of dismay, anger, and profound sadness. We cannot say that this is something new – it has happened before, if perhaps not to the vast extent seen on Saturday. But we surely know that this is a self-inflicted wound; and we know who has been wielding the weapon. It is the work of an odd coterie ...

In Greek Epic, the great are given the epithet “Leader of Men.” Few in the now 175-year history of Notre Dame deserve to be called a Leader of Men more than Ara Parseghian. Surely his fame on the field is, and shall always remain, golden. But he served under an implacable superior in Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, who demanded that Ara never tarnish the name of Our Lady or the University dedicated to Her honor. And Ara never did.
As a Leader of Men, Ara demanded much from his athletes: first, that ...

What an unexpected year! No one should have been surprised that 2016 followed 2015; but the manner in which it followed was surprising: Not so much as night follows day, but more as a troop of rabid baboons follows the tourist who went to relieve himself behind the bushes and missed the bus back to the safari lodge, all while having his pockets stuffed full of beef jerky and hard candies.
The Fighting Irish 4-8: We began the 2016 season ranked tenth and widely expected to vie for a place in ...

For the 175th anniversary, they’re “retracing” my route from Vincennes to Notre Dame. I’m flattered…I guess. They’re doing it in late August – Indiana in late August. You know, dangerous heat, violent monsoons, and tornado season. I wouldn’t have undertaken the journey in August! Are they going to cart in mosquitoes carrying Yellow Fever to complete the effect? And by the way, the hellacious trek from New York to Vincennes was much more harrowing that the last 270 miles through pancake-flat ...

The Agricultural College of the State of Michigan is coming to town for a football game. Well, that was their first name; but they soon changed it to State Agricultural College. Realizing that this was dangerously vague – how would the students know which state’s agricultural college they were attending – the name was tightened up to Michigan Agricultural College. But there’s so much more to Michigan than growing cherries and Christmas trees; so the name was elaborated to Michigan State College ...

This is not a campfire story meant to scare children. It is true:
By the year 1450, France had been devastated by the Hundred Years’ War. The English had laid waste to the country side, leaving the people hungry and seeking safety. Many fled to the great city of Paris.
But Paris was not great anymore. The loss of able men to the war effort meant Paris was without adequate defenders. Worse, the cost of the war had diverted funds away from vital building, leaving the once-formidable ...